Salvation
by EbayHasEverything
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic war, a group of hybrids bred by the government gets loose. When Clary joined the rebel group to fight for her freedom and take down the corrupt leadership everyone so blindly follows, she had no idea that the road to salvation would have so much blood - or heartbreak.
1. Chapter 1

_[A/N] alright, so, for the millionth time in my short life, i'm going to be writing a fanfiction that hopefully won't crash an burn into the fiery pits of mordor. fingers crossed. Anyways, I hope you enjoy my twisted little fairytale. _

_DISCLAIMER: I don't any TMI characters, though I wish I did because, let's face it, who hasn't dreamed of being the one to create the one and only Jace Herondale?_

Chapter One

The eruption of metal crashes through my ears, and for one, horribly terrifying moment, I imagine I'm back at the compound, being risen from my cell for a tasteless breakfast of stale bread and cold oatmeal. Then I blink, and the image shatters, my surroundings slowly starting to unfold around me.

Lush green foliage covers me, the brightness of the sun through the leaves blinding. Underneath, I feel the cold and unforgiving earth - but as frigid and sore as I feel, it's nothing compared to the steel cages I was used to. I'm not there anymore - I'm not being held captive like the rabid animal they think me to be.

The clanging, I realize, sitting up and raking a hand through my matted red curls, was from Simon.

"Wake up, everybody!" He has a heavy branch in one hand and a metal lid from a pot clasped in the other, hitting them together mercilessly, "Rise and shine!"

Considering just the week before, we'd been running for our lives to escape the prison the government had held us captive in, I was surprised by the amount of commotion he was making. The forest we'd taken shelter in was too close to the compound for my liking, and while we were far enough in that no vehicles would be granted easy access, it wouldn't be a chore for human feet.

"Jesus christ, does he have to do that this early?" A groaning on my left alerted me to a groaning teenage boy, a few years younger than I was. His brown hair was matted down with crusted blood and his eyes were narrowed into slits as he glared at Simon.

"Max, relax." I soothed, "There's nothing we can do about it."

"Get me that branch he's holding and I'll prove otherwise."

I stifled my small smile and nudged him as Simon wandered over to us. His arm was in a makeshift sling, the material ripped from someone's shirt, and he had a deep scratch on his face that I knew was becoming infected.

"Simon, you really 'ought to let me take a look at that." My voice was quiet, withdrawn, as I frowned and glanced up at him. When he rolled his eyes, I changed tactics, "Simon, sit down and let me look at it." My voice was firm, demanding.

Our eyes locked for a brief moment, and in it, I could see the faint traces of the boy I'd known when we were younger - the boy I'd grown up with. He'd been full of humour and sarcasm, until the government had taken it away from him, like they'd done with so many people here.

Just as sudden as they'd fallen, his walls were back in place, as was the stern tone in his voice, "After I've finished with the run-down." I nodded and watched him with a small sigh on the edge of my lips as he shook the others awake.

"Get's tiring, doesn't it?" I glanced at Max to see that his gaze was locked on Simon's retreating form as well, "Hearing the same 'run-down' every day. He can try and make it as positive as he'd like, but we all know the truth - their looking for us, and they won't stop until they find us." His voice was laced with a bitterness that made me ache inside.

I could hardly say I blamed him - like the rest of the group here, he'd been robbed of his childhood, pushed into a harsh environment full of prodding gazes and snide comments. I wished that now that we were out, he'd have the chance to rediscover his youth, explore the possibilities that had been granted to him. But that was nothing more than wishful thinking - Max would be able to do that the same time I'd be able to close my eyes and feel secure in the knowledge they would stop looking for us. Which, I knew, was never.

As far as I knew, the government had only been conducting their expirements for the last fifteen years or so. Every since _**he**_ was in charge of it. The oldest member in our ranks - a withered man who looked too old and worn to merely be in his forties, had told us stories of how it had been in the old days, before any of it had started. Hodge, his name had been.

Apparently, telling tales of life had been too much of a threat for a revolution to the government, and they'd taken Hodge away, threw him in the black room and left him to die. They'd done it to send a message - and it had gotten through. Words were dangerous.

Nobody spoke much after that.

Simon's voice broke me out of my reverie, "It's been a week since we escaped the compound, and scouts have told me that they're getting closer. We can't let down our gaurd yet." From the weary looks on everyone's faces, I knew nobody would be relaxing anytime soon, "The hunting party we sent out hasn't returned yet - it's been two days. We have to leave by nightfall, with or without them. We can't afford to stay here much longer."

As Simon continued to prattle on about how close we were to freedom and escaping the clutches of our enemies, I zoned out. I should have felt positive about the progress everyone was making - but inside, there was a hollow pit in my stomach that told me it wasn't over yet.

"Clary?" I jumped slightly and glanced over, seeing a small black-haired figure by my side.

"Sorry, I was out of it." I frowned, "What is it, Aline?"

She squirmed under my gaze, as if it were somehow powerful enough to warrant nervousness, "My cousin, he's sick. I know you're not a real doctor, but you're the only one who knows enough about this kind of stuff to do something about it, and you've done such a great job with anyone else and I just couldn't think of anybody else to ask - " She sucked in a breath, abruptly stopping her rambling, "Please help me."

I twisted the hem of my shirt in m y fingers carefully, "Aline, I don't know what I can do for him."

"But you're the only one - "

I shook my head, "Aline, I'll try. You know I will."

For a moment, she stared at me incredulously, as if she hadn't actually expected me to say yes. Her eyes glossed over, a few tears streaking down her face, "Thank you, Clary. Thank you so much. You have no idea..." She broke off and shook her head, too overcome to speak.

I smiled, though it was tinged with a sort of longing - family would have been nice to have, in an atmosphere like this. The closest I had was Simon, and these days, he was an entirely different person. We all were. Things had changed.

I followed Aline through the twisted patch of bodies, some packing, others trying to salvage the sleep that Simon had disrupted, until she paused at an unmoving body. For a moment, I thought it was too late, that he'd already passed on - until the slight rise and fall of his chest told me otherwise.

"Sebastian," She murmured, shaking him lightly, "Sebastian, I brought Clary. I brought you help." Silence answered her.

Taking one look at his sweaty temples and flushed cheeks, I knew immediately what it was. Pneumonia wasn't entirely unsurprising, considering the harsh environments and lack of proper nutrition. To add on to that, there wasn't much for us to treat it with either.

Aline seemed to realize this, "I know there isn't much you can do, considering where we are. But you're the only one who has any idea what they're doing, medically speaking."

It was true - back at the compound, I'd hated coming back to the cells and seeing people crouched in corners, holding bleeding wounds to themselves and choking back the tears, lest one of the gaurds hear them. So I'd taken it upon myself to help them, starting with things as small as learning how to bind their scrapes to what steps to take when someone was falling ill with a fever. Eventually, I'd been able to spot the symptoms early on and try to prevent the innevitable. Sometimes it worked. Others, it didn't.

I refused to let this be one of those times, however. We didn't have a lot out here, and family could go a long way.

"I'll have to get out and look for some things," I said softly, looking up into Aline's dark eyes, alight with hope. Abruptly, it diminished.

"Simon will never let you go, not this close to when we're supposed to leave."

I brushed it off, "I'll be back in time. If he asks where I am, distract him." She nodded, and after a moment's paused, I darted away into the lush forest behind us.

I had doubts that I'd be able to make it back to the camp in time - or that I'd be able to make it back to the camp at all. But I'd told Aline I'd try, hadn't I? There wasn't a lot I could do in the grand scheme of things, but at least this was something I had partial control in. I wouldn't give it up easily.

Counting the seconds, I searched the ground furiously, sending a prayer that I would find something worth Simon's undoubtable rage that would help Sebastian. I swore under my breath, searching more frantically, time ticking down as I practically threw myself into every patch of plants I could find.

There was nothing.

Placing my head in my hands, I blew out a shaky breath and raked my hands back, "Come on, Fray." I murmured, "Think. _**Think**_."

And like that, it came to me.

Retracing my steps, I grabbed a patch of berries I'd come across earlier, pricking the palm of my hand from the thorns, and a few large white flowers. They wouldn't do anything for the fever, but they'd reduce his pain enough to be able to walk to wherever it was we were headed - a place that would, hopefully, have something for me to treat him with there.

I took a few steps forward, hesitated, then decided to turn back to grab a few more flowers. It wouldn't hurt to have a few handy, in case extra doses were needed. A grin split my face, the knowledge that I would be able to do some good in this twisted world lifting my spirits.

As I turned, however, the smile froze almost immediately, my heart flying into my throat. Around me, the world spun, my fingers dropping the flowers. My eyes were fixed in front of me, unable to move.

And in front of me, an cold amber gaze bore back into mine.

_So, the first chapter has been placed - I know it's a bit slow, but trust me, it'll pick up speed soon._

_I might be updating once more tonight, because I hate odd numbers almost as much as Jace hates ducks. The next few updates might be a bit random, so bear with me._

_Leave any comments, questions, suggestions and reviews - and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! _

_xx donnie_


	2. Chapter 2

**[A/N] Last update for the night, I believe. Don't forget to review! **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any TMI characters, they are all created by Cassandra Clare, who I am going to bow down to and declare as my almighty queen. *-***

I can't take my eyes off the face in front of mine - my heart has stopped at this point, frozen in fear at the appearance of the stranger in front of me.

It's obvious he's a soldier, from the dark gear he wears and the heavy gun in his hand - with real bullets, I realize with a start. No tranqualizers. _They aren't messing around anymore,_ I think.

Every previous thought in my head - of helping Sebastian, getting back in time before Simon left with the group - flew out of my head. For a brief moment, I thought he was a mere hallucination. He was beautiful; toned skin, amber eyes, golden blonde hair that curled at the nape of his neck - he could have been made out of liquid gold for the amount he shone.

And yet, he didn't fade away, and I realized after a moment that the deepening pit in my stomach was the feeling of dread. I couldn't run - he'd no doubt be faster than me, what with the military training, and he had a formidable looking gun holstered on his hip that his fingers glazed over carefully.

I didn't doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to use that on me.

So it was back to the standoff. I stood nearly a full head shorter than he did, my pale, freckled skin looking weak and sickly against his healthy glow. Physically, I had no chance. But mentally... well, the military didn't recruit people at this point for their brains. I made a list of the pro's and con's in my head before he went on the offense.

Con - he's stronger and faster than I am. Pro - I'm lighter then he is, smaller too. I could fit through places he had no hope in getting. Con - he has a long range gun. Pro - the foliage from the trees can shelter me while I run.

But run where? Every advantage I had was based on the fact that I had somewhere to go - and yet, I wasn't about to run back to the group and risk getting them exposed as well.

I would just have to go for it. Every second I wasted was another second he gained control over the situation.

Jerking forward with as much force I could muster, I slammed my elbow into his gut, immediately regretting it as I felt the hard padded material of a vest. Quick as a flash, his hands shot out and grabbed me by both the wrist and the elbow, rearing me over his head and flipping me onto my back, the wind rushing out of my lungs.

I blinked, my eyesight hazy as the world spun around me, a canvas of greens and browns of the forest overhead swirling in my line of vision. Despite my weak balance, I rolled to the side, feeling the rough indents of rocks underneath my soft body. I shut my eyes, increasing speed as I fell down the side of the elevated ground, leaves whipping my face and leaving a searing burn in its place.

Gravity releasing me from its grip, I raised myself to a crouching position and took a deep breath, inhaling traces of dirt from the forest floor and feeling it coat the inside of my mouth, drying it almost instantaneously. Not being able to afford the time it took to regain my senses, I took off like a shot into the dense forest, running as fast as my feet would allow me to.

When I was sure I could hear no trampling footsteps or shouts behind me, I slowed, casting a weary look around me. I recognized nothing. I must have fallen down the opposite side of the overhang and continued to move further away from the group.

_Stupid_. I thought, slapping my arm as a bug landed on my skin, _He's not even following you - that means he could be following _them_._

It was one of the worst thoughts I could muster up - the hybrids had become more than the anonymous group of unfamiliar faces we had started out with. Bit by bit, we had learnt each other's names, each other's stories. They were family now. And I had to get back to them.

I tugged on a lock of my bright red hair, turning it in my fingertips as I surveyed the land around me. Everyone at the compound had constantly spoken of my fiery hair, said how it could brighten up a room. They could immediately find me in a crowd.

Which, when hiding in the middle of a lush green forest, could serve as an issue. It was like placing a flashing target above me that said "SHOOT THIS'. Biting my lip, I squared my shoulders and crept low, keeping my head as close to the ground as possible. Then, when I found a particularly large batch of mud, I scooped it up with my two hands and smeared it along the curls, masking its signature glow.

With pieces of dirt and mud dripping off my fingertips, I suck in a deep breath and narrow my eyes at the ridge I'd fallen off of - that was my destination. It would be about an hour's walk, and by that time, with or without me, Simon would have left. Add on another few hours to find the group, and I'd be wandering around by myself for a substantial amount of time.

_Better get started then._

My motivation to find the hybrids was dwindling the more I wandered throughout the forest. I thought I'd reached the ridge an hour ago, and yet the further I moved, the less hope I felt. My throat was parched, my knees stung from where I'd tripped over a root and scraped them, and now, I was lost.

I had no idea how big the forest was - for all I knew, it could be hundreds of acres. The compound had been dead in the middle of it, tucked away from the rest of society's judgemental stares. I didn't remember a life before the steel walls, before the flickering lights that illuminated the dirt and tear streaks on hopeless faces. According to the older residents, I hadn't been born in the compound, and was instead brought to them when I was a year old.

All I ever remembered was the compound. Where there should have been the encouraging words and lifting smiles of parents and friends, there was nothing more than the hushed promises Simon had made me in the dark. _I will protect you. We'll get out. It's going to be okay._

The hybrids had been developed to be warriors. As far as I knew, our genetics had been altered using state-of-the-art technology to make us more intelligent than other regular beings, or at least that's what they had told us. The only people who were old enough to remember the first hybrids had all died in their 40's - hybrids didn't have a long life span. As far as I was concerned, if we were so much smarter than them, we should have escaped a long time ago.

I wrapped my arms around my waist. Night was setting in quickly and with it came the harsh bite of the cold. Despite the amount of mud I had smeared across myself, shivers still vibrated through me until just putting one foot in front sent a shock of pain up my leg. I knew I wouldn't last long in these conditions. I was torn between finding somewhere to shelter myself for the night or spending every waking hour devoted to getting back to Simon and the rest of the hybrids - as long as I was asleep, they had that much more time to move away from me, and then it would only be a matter of time before I was nothing more but another dead hybrid tucked away in the forest somewhere.

Thankfully, my body decided for me. The wind was harsh, my feet soaked and blistering. The clouds were thick and heavy with promises of rain soon to come - I collapsed to the ground and brought my legs up to my chest. I needed a rest. Just a small rest, and then I would get back up and find somewhere to sleep for the night. I would only have my eyes closed for a second.

Had I done that, I knew I wouldn't be able to get up again. Struggling to my feet, my shoulders squared with a newfound intensity I didn't know I still posessed, I grit my teeth and continued to walk down the forest. I didn't have to walk far to find a small overhang of trees, just barely big enough to fit me lying down. But it had some sort of cover against the wind and the rain, and that was all I needed.

As I fell to the ground and tucked my chin under my arm, my body curled into the fetal position to protect itself, I had one thought before sleep claimed my consciousness.

_I am a survivor._


End file.
